Home
by RubyRoseOfBeacon
Summary: Team STRQ have had a long history filled with happiness, loss, coping, and more. The life of a Huntsman and of a parent don't mix well. A mysterious organization offers power beyond imagination, and the promise may just be too much for the team. Despite the hardships, the team handle raising two children in this harsh and dangerous world, no matter what they lose along the way.
1. The Story

"Hey girls, I have a story for you." Qrow leaned up against the bedpost in team RWBY's dorm room. Weiss and Blake were out for the day, Weiss training and Blake making large purchases of tuna and other cat products with the excuse of owning an extensive number of felines. In the meanwhile, Ruby and Yang had stayed back with their uncle to catch up. He and Taiyang were responsible for most of the girls' upbringing and he felt like he had left Taiyang with a much bigger responsibility, so he at least owed them a story about his old team. Ruby poked her head up from her bed with a big smile on her face. She enjoyed it when her uncle Qrow had a story, whether it was a true one or just flat out made up. Yang set her scroll aside and also sat up from sitting on Blake's bed. Qrow always had little stories for them but most of them were about his encounters with mini skirts or excitable female bartenders. Yang figured that this ought to be some good entertainment until the rest of their team came back.

"Alright, so there I was-" Qrow was cut off from a sudden attack from behind. It turned out to just be Ruby launching forward to wrap her arms around Qrow's neck. Yang giggled from how much Ruby got excited about these little stories Qrow had.

"Gah, okay, I see someone's ready." Qrow just laughed it off and pulled out a small black book that had a picture of a raven on the front. The girls had seen the notebook a few times before but never got a chance to look inside. Qrow directed his attention towards the older sister.

"This book is a personal journal that your mother and I kept. There's a reason I say journal instead of 'diary'." Qrow dragged out the last word as though it was a pain to even say.

"It's 'cuz you don't want to sound girly." Ruby instantly quipped from behind.

"Hey, girls keep diaries, men keep journals of their adventures. There's a difference, ya know." Qrow quickly exclaimed. He regained his stature against the bedpost and flipped open the journal. The pages were slightly wrinkled and warped as if the entire thing had been dropped in the water once or twice. Qrow cleared his voice and began telling his story.

* * *

Summer quietly closed the thick oak wood door, careful to make sure that it shut without a noise. As soon as it was fully shut, she turned around to face the rest of her team: Taiyang who was sitting at the kitchen table, Raven who was anxiously standing by the front door, and finally Qrow, who held a baby bottle with milk. Three of them were in their earlier twenties with Summer being an exception of exactly twenty. Her eye color made her an exception to a lot of things.

"So what's your grand plan, little Rose?" Qrow jokingly addressed his leader. She frowned at the idiotic nickname but immediately ended up sighing in exasperation.

"The little one is asleep. Though I don't understand why Raven and Tai insist on having the four of us take on their parenting responsibilities." Summer pointed out.

"Because we're a team. We've always done things as a team. Plus you make a really good mother, Summer." Taiyang responded with, giving Summer a reason to smile and Raven a reason to frown.

"Oh, and I'm not?" Raven lashed out, forcing Taiyang to scoot his chair back.

"No no, I didn't say that! You're an excellent mother! Though I do have some questions about your...baby toys." Taiyang remembered a scenario in which Raven went out of her way to ask a man in town to build a few toys for her child that were shaped like weapons.

"Growing up around us, it's a good idea for them to start young." Qrow suggested, looking quizzically at the bottle in his hand. He didn't remember why he had picked it up.

"Start young? What are you implying that we're starting them young for?" Taiyang exclaimed.

"Please calm down…" Summer spoke up in a hushed voice that reminded them all of the sleeping baby. Taiyang shook his head in frustration.

"Each and every one of us is now a certified huntsman or huntress. We work under Ozpin and his associates now. The life of a huntsman and the life of a parent don't mix. That's why we decided to stay all the way out here and raise little Yang. Away from the fighting and the dreams of being a huntress." Taiyang explained what they all already knew. Qrow exchanged the bottle of milk for an apple.

"And what are we going to do when Oz decides to call us in on a mission? We can't tell him about the baby. And we certainly can't send only one of us in, we'd get killed." Qrow indiscriminately pointed out. They all secretly agreed, but it was something they wanted to forget.

"We weren't thinking when we agreed to go out." Raven blatantly referred to Taiyang. The team knew about the relationship, but tried to not let it affect them. A few months after graduating, Tai and Raven got more serious. Summer and Qrow were clueless until Raven's pregnancy started showing. They were quick to come to a temporary solution of building a cabin on the isolated island of Patch. There, they figured they would live until ultimately coming to a conclusion about what to do with the baby. Qrow kept in touch with Ozpin, telling him that they needed time to work on their teamwork among other things required by a full team of huntsmen. Ozpin's patience was running thin fast, which worried them all.

"She's asleep for now, so let's keep it that way." Summer reminded them. Her teammates seemed to have short fuses. She constantly kept them in check and made sure to give ample reminders about a lot of things.

"Life won't stay so simple." Qrow was seriously about his statement. He took a loud, crunchy bite of his apple before storming out of the cabin, leaving the door wide open.

"Wait!" Summer dashed after him, quickly but softly closing the door. She followed him closely. Taiyang and Raven stared at each other in confusion. Qrow had always had the shortest fuse out of them all, wanting things done right the first time and permanent solutions. Summer tried her best to remind him that temporary solutions work as well, but he never wanted to listen. A few moments later, the cries of a baby erupted from the room Summer was in earlier. Raven sighed once she heard the noise.

"I'll get it." She simply offered and turned towards the room.

Outside, Qrow had stormed away towards a creek-side meadow not far from the cabin. It was early in the spring, but the cold weather didn't bother him. The flowers and wild grasses were just starting to pop up all around. The creek itself ran constantly, fed from a river that ran between the island and mainland. It flowed about eleven months of the year and today was no exception. Qrow tossed his apple aside and slumped down beside the creek.

Summer felt a mild breeze fluttering her cloak behind her. She did what she could to keep it close to her instead of freely blowing around. She wasn't sure what had gotten into her teammate so suddenly and was careful to approach him. He was fully aware of Summer's presence.

"Sit down." He beckoned without turning around. Summer had always been his favorite. His sister got annoying quickly with her peppy always-happy attitude, although recently that had been dwindling. And Taiyang was boring and studious, always worrying about one thing or the other. But Summer…

She sat down beside Qrow and pulled her knees up to her chest. Qrow looked over and noticed she seemed kind of scared. He gave her a small smile to show her that everything was alright.

"Hey there, little Rose. I'm not gonna bite. Although there are a few people who I'd more than gladly bite in the a-"

"Qrow!" Summer stopped him as he continued to smile.

"Well it's true...anyways, why'd you follow me out here? Don't you have some motherly duty to do?" Qrow watched the younger girl stir uncomfortably, loosening up only a tiny amount.

"Taiyang and Raven are fine by themselves. Besides, they are the parents." Summer quietly suggested.

"I guess you're right...but they can't be that great of parents if they need us around, supermom." Qrow chuckled at the new nickname he came up with on the spot. He also earned a swift but light punch from Summer. She didn't want to be a mother, at least not yet. She was young and wanted to explore the world a bit more.

"Well, we're only helping them until they get better at, uh, parenting. It'll be alright in time. Trust me, we've been through worse together as kids." She smiled warmly, reminiscing their time at Beacon Academy as students under Ozpin. Qrow knew exactly what Summer meant.

"Tai is a little, whaddya call it, too serious. And I'm pretty sure my sis is starting to get cranky and old as a new mother. They won't get along if things keep going this way." Qrow was starting to loosen up himself, leaning back slightly and holding himself up with his hands. Summer watched him and somewhat mimicked what he was doing. But her naturally clumsiness caught up to her and she fell backward with a cute yelp. Qrow tried his best to avoid giggling out loud, helping Summer back to a sitting position.

"Don't laugh at me…" Summer looked away, but she herself was trying hard not to burst out laughing. Qrow subconsciously put a hand on Summer's shoulder out of kindness. It was sudden, causing Summer to slightly jolt from the touch.

"Hey now little Rose, we ain't kids anymore. But that doesn't mean we can't laugh at each other every once in awhile. It's no fun and games out in the field. Like I said, loosen up. We'll be done helping with the kid and then we'll be out there fighting side by side. I promise." Qrow started to stand up and stretch.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. The other two will be fine soon enough. I'm gonna go back and see if they need anything." Summer jumped up to her feet and before Qrow could say anything or move, Summer was gone.

"She's...something. Can't quite put my finger on it yet, but she's something alright." Qrow admired the girl as she ran back to the cabin.

Summer, who knew her way well around the area, worked her way back easily. There was a small section of trees, then a rocky patch, and finally there was the forest that made up the back part of the cabin. She paused in front of the door, however. Her mind wasn't on Raven or Taiyang, or even the baby. She was thinking about Qrow. He was so nice to her, and has been like a protector. Her mind wandered back to when she was on a joint mission with Team CYAN back in the day and she twisted her ankle. The first one to come to her rescue was Qrow. He fought off the oncoming Grimm assailants and helped her to her feet, even carrying her part of the way. And it wasn't the only time he had been the first to her side. He cared about her a lot. And she didn't have much of a way to repay him. She never could. And now that they were adults, she wanted more than ever to return the favor. She placed her hand on the doorknob and before she could turn it, a loud crash came from inside.

Summer flung the door open to see Raven holding Yang while Taiyang was grabbing plates. On the floor in front of Taiyang was a shattered glass mug sitting in a pool of juice.

"I told you to be more careful!" Raven commanded as the young baby in her arms giggled from the sight of the chaos. Summer sighed and reached for the broom and mop which were both leaning against the wall near the door.

"Hey there, Summer. Oh, you don't need that, I can get this." Taiyang friendly voice rang out through the small cabin. He then closed his eyes and focused his energy into activating his semblance. Raven always had a slight appreciation for the blonde's semblance. The simplest way to describe it would be combustion. Within a few seconds, the shards of glass and the juice ignited into a small, controlled flame. The aura in Taiyang's body melted the substance away into dust, which casually floated away. Summer stood in the door-frame and admired the show. A couple minutes later and both the glass and juice were nothing more.

"There we go. We can always just buy more mugs if we need to," Taiyang then turned towards his child and made his voice more playful, "we wouldn't want wittle Yang to pway in the glass and get hurty boo-boos." Which was extremely effective at making Yang laugh in excitement. Summer and Raven both smiled to see the child so happy.

"So I'm guessing my idiot brother is off doing what he does best and 'thinking things over' again?" Raven rolled her eyes at the mere thought of Qrow. Summer just shrugged her shoulders.

"He's alright. He should be back soon. Then we can talk about what we're going to do. You know Ozpin called again this morning. He needs us back now." Summer's tone was urgent. She desperately wanted to change Team STRQ's status back to 'in service' as quick as possible. Qrow laxfully strolled up behind Summer and made his appearance known.

"Well now, Ozpin can go screw himself, we've got a baby." Qrow's voice was loud enough to turn all heads.

"A baby he doesn't know exists, you know that right?" Taiyang was now holding Yang, very carefully bouncing her up and down to keep her occupied.

"I say we give in and tell him about Yang." Qrow and Summer both herded themselves inside in order for the front door to be shut. Raven crossed her arms and shot Qrow a cold glare.

"That's an idiot way of handling this. Or we could have someone stay here and watch Yang while the rest of us go and be huntsmen, like we signed up for." Raven was quick to suggest.

"Qrow is right, we need to tell Ozpin about the baby. He's an understanding person, he'll be reasonable." Summer concluded, standing close to her dark haired teammate. Summer never wore her hood inside the cabin, making it easy for Qrow to reach up and ruffle his leader's hair.

"Oh come on, you're taking his side? What did you two do while you were gone, make out?" Raven blurted out, not wanting to listen to anyone else's opinion.

"Can we not fight in front of Yang? Please?" Taiyang pleaded, still holding his baby. He would put her back to bed if she hadn't already been sleeping the majority of the day.

"We're ending this right now." Summer took the reins in the conversation, immediately pulling out her scroll and calling Ozpin. Nobody dared to move. They learned over the last few years that Summer developed a great sense of decisive thinking. Once she had her mind set, she wasn't likely to change it. The small device rang a few times before the somewhat annoyed voice of Ozpin was heard back.

"Hello headmaster, this is team STRQ, as in all of us this time. We have a small confession that we would like to make…" Summer felt her voice becoming progressively more nervous. She heard Ozpin grunt on the other side, waiting for Summer to continue. But she didn't get a chance to say a word before Yang loudly shouted gibberish as though on cue. She wasn't old enough to speak actual words yet, but she picked up enough from the four adults to at least try to communicate. Ozpin heard loud and clear, completely taken aback.

"Surprise, we have a baby...heheh…" Summer tried to lighten the mood. Ozpin still lacked a response.

"It's mine and Raven's, actually!" Taiyang spoke up, believing he was helping. Summer waited a while before Ozpin replied.

"Well, I can't possibly be mad at you for harboring a child. Why didn't you just tell me to begin with? Children are the future of this world. They are just as important as the huntsmen and huntresses protecting the cities from the creatures of the wilderness. In fact, huntsmen and huntresses just like you four. Here's what I can do, you can take shift's reporting into me for missions. Two at a time while the other two stay back and parent the child. You obviously didn't train at my academy for four years just to be mothers and fathers." Ozpin broke from speaking to give the team a chance to say something.

"That's actually a really good idea, headmaster. When would you like us in?" Summer excitedly reported back.

"As soon as you can get here." Ozpin finished his statement and ended the call. Summer lowered her scroll and stared at her team with a big smile.

"He said we can take turns...two at a time while the other two stay here. How does that sound?" Summer recited what Ozpin told her.

"That's real amazing. I call being one of the two going in first." Qrow was quick to volunteer. Summer was, to no one's surprise, the second to vote herself in. That way, the birth parents had time to themselves to figure out a way to effectively raise Yang.

"Good thing that's settled. Okay, I was wrong, before anyone else has a chance to say it." Raven rolled her eyes and admitted what she need to.

"I'm gonna head back to my room and get my stuff packed. You should do the same, Qrow." Summer calmed herself a little to be the team leader and get things organized. They had a long trip ahead of them.

Summer made her way to the room she had been using as hers. When Qrow and Taiyang had been building the house, they made a few extra rooms to use as guest bedrooms considering Qrow and Summer were going to be staying there as well, and Yang needed her own room. In total, they set aside four bedrooms which took up most of the cabin. But they didn't feel it was unnecessary. Raven figured that once the others were out of the place, they could use the extra space for more recreational purposes.

The young team leader looked at her things that were strewn across the bed in a sort of orderly fashion that made sense to her. She carefully folded extra clothing and picked out various objects, stacking them next to a black bag that she was planning on taking with them. She wouldn't take everything, just the things she thought she needed.

"Knock-knock, little Rose." The rough voice announced from the doorway. Summer quickly spun around to greet the uninvited guest.

"Shouldn't you be packing for the trip to Vale?" She questioned without missing a beat. Qrow fully entered the room and shut the door behind him

"Everything I need is right here." He pointed to himself, then in an attempt to sound desirable, gently bopped Summer's nose. It made her giggle as she realized what he meant.

"You're funny. Wouldn't you rather be going with Taiyang or your sister?" Summer tried to control herself, which only made her giggle more.

"Nah, those guys would only cramp my style. There's no one I'd rather be fighting beside than you." Qrow answered honestly, finding a flat spot to sit down on the bed. Summer felt her face start to get hot from the compliment. She decided to sit next to Qrow and take a break to just talk with him.

"So why are you in here disturbing me anyway?" Summer asked in a hushed voice. She wasn't quite sure just yet why he liked to be around her the most.

"Maybe I'm jealous of Tai and Raven, maybe it's just because you still have your innocence. You're different, and not just because you're 'special' special, with those beautiful silver eyes of yours." Qrow smirked as he slipped yet another compliment into the conversation. Summer shoved Qrow enough to move him, but not enough to push him off the bed.

"Oh, stop it with the flirting. I know what you're trying to do." Summer looked away while crossing her arms, giving an impression that she didn't appreciate Qrow's little quips. He just shook his head and put an arm around the younger girl.

"I like you. And you like me." Qrow said what they both were thinking. Summer felt her face burning up, her shyness becoming extremely apparent. She pushed her hair out of eyes and turned to face Qrow. She knew that she was blushing wildly but she didn't want to hide it anymore.

"So what does that mean?" Summer nervously tried to work out, instead ending up speaking in a quiet, high pitched voice. Qrow leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"It means love, little Rose." For once, Summer didn't mind the possessive nickname. She actually enjoyed it coming from Qrow's voice. Then before she could react, her lips were met with a forceful kiss. It was a quick but drawn out movement, and one that Summer didn't complain about. To her, it was the blossoming of a romance. She returned the kiss with less force but with a loving push. The two locked lips for as long as they could, pulling apart once neither could hold their breath any longer. Even as they were panting for air, Qrow leaned forward even further and pushed his forehead against Summer's, a few tufts of blackish-red locks between them. They sat against each other for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company, until Qrow broke the peace.

"I probably should go pack…" He was quiet and relaxed, standing up slowly and stretching. The stretching part was just for Summer's pleasure, however. Once he was fully up, he exited the room without any further words.

"Qrow Branwen…" Summer whispered to herself with the image of him fresh in her mind and the thought of the kiss lingering in the air. It had taken them years to get past the idea of just being teammates and to finally admit how they felt. And she felt like a huge weight was suddenly lifted. She fell backwards and laid on the bed for a while, blushing uncontrollably and giggling softly. She couldn't wait for what the future would bring for them, but whatever it was, she was ready and willing to take it on.

Once the ecstasy had worn off, Summer went back to work on packing her things and picking the bag up. It seemed a little too heavy but she was sure the extra things would be necessary. Next, she set the bag on the floor beside the bed and walked back out to see if Taiyang and Raven needed any assistance as they usually did.

"Everything's under control out here. By the way, what did Qrow need? Before he went into your room he told us that he was getting something he let you borrow." Taiyang innocently asked as soon as he saw Summer.

"Oh it was nothing. Don't worry about it. We leave tomorrow morning. Just thought I'd let you guys know." Summer smiled enthusiastically. She picked up Yang from where she was sitting on the counter and began playing with her. From around the corner, Qrow peeked out and watched with a happy facial expression.

"Supermom…" He whispered to himself.


	2. The Mission

**A few months later**

Qrow meticulously scrubbed at the stain on the counter top, slowly becoming frustrated at the effort required to remove the insolent grime. The baby had been increasingly a pain to take care of, especially with the continued turn-taking of who gets to play huntsman and who gets to play the parents. The current pair playing the huntsmen were Taiyang and Raven, leaving Summer and Qrow to take care of Yang. They soon found that the baby was more trouble than they originally imagined.

Summer had taken Yang into the baby room and was doing her best to keep Yang occupied and happy. Meanwhile, Qrow was tasked with cleaning up the cabin from the earlier attempts at keeping Yang happy. The huntsman looked around at the kitchen area and felt satisfied with his work. He had gone around the whole room and almost turned everything upside down to tidy it all up.

He dragged his feet over to the room Summer was in and watched her from the doorway. She was on her knees on the floor playing a game with the eighteen month old infant, her white flowing cape covering most of her body and spilling out onto the floor behind her. Underneath, Qrow could see a tiny amount of a black skirt. At least Yang was laughing and in a good mood.

"How's it going in here, supermom?" Qrow leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, asking the same rhetorical question he had done so many times before. Summer turned her head and smiled at the sight of her lover.

"Are you done cleaning already?" Summer's response was always along the same lines of countering Qrow's initial question with her own question.

"Why yes, the kitchen is spotless. I can sense your surprise, 'old Qrow actually cleaned for once? That's new.' Am I wrong?" He enacted an imitation of Summer, making the younger girl laugh. He felt accomplished whenever he managed to make her laugh, which in his mind, who wouldn't enjoy hearing the laughter of a lover?

"No, you're not wrong. And by the way, little Yang is pretty happy right now." Summer turned her attention back to the baby, who was sitting on the floor and playing with her own toes. Qrow strolled forward and offered a hand to Summer, in which she gladly accepted and allow Qrow to pick her up to her feet.

"Remember how this morning I told you I had a surprise once the chores were done? Go wait in your bedroom and I'll put the baby to sleep." Qrow mysteriously swooned, using his other hand to push Summer's hair out of her face. She used to keep her hair rather short but as of recent, she preferred to let it grow out more. Qrow frequently commented on it no matter the length, which pleased Summer to some extent. She left the room and gently shut the door behind her. Qrow turned his attention to the blonde haired baby who seemed very intent on attacking her own little wiggling toes, with lilac eyes shining brightly.

He leaned down and patted Yang's head. She turned her head and looked up to see whose hand it was. Once she recognized Qrow's aging face, she giggled and made a cute gurgling noise in an attempt to communicate.

"Hey there little Yang. I see you're having fun there. How about we get you in your bed and you can take a nap?" Qrow talked to the baby as he swooped her up and held her close. She had no complaints to the sudden action, only discerning such words as 'bed' and 'nap'. In response, she yawned and made herself comfortable in the huntsman's arms. He smiled sweetly as he watched her, taking her to the bed tucked away in the corner. He never imagined himself to be a fatherly type. Taiyang, if anyone, was definitely the paternal one.

Qrow waited until Yang was snuggled into her sheets before turning away and heading out of the room. The rotation system that Ozpin had their team going through had gone through a couple circulations already without a hitch. One pair goes into service for a few weeks, then the next pair reports in for a few weeks. It always worked out perfectly. But the last circulation concerned Qrow slightly simply because they had received no news about how Raven and Taiyang were doing. He constantly thought about his team's well being.

Qrow shook the idea of anything bad happening and replaced it with the excuse of just taking their time coming back. He had plans for Summer since the two of them were alone for now. He poked his head into his team leader's room to see what she was up to.

"Is she asleep?" A quiet voice spoke up from out of Qrow's line of sight.

"Yeah, for now." He opened the door farther to reveal Summer sitting on the bed in a girlish posture, wrapped up in her cape and her hood on.

"It's...cold in here." She explained innocently, attracting Qrow's attention.

"Well then allow me to warm you up." Qrow tried to seductively call out, making his way towards the bed. He sat on the edge and beckoned for Summer to sit on his leg. She complied without a second thought. Qrow carefully slid her hood off her head and wrapped his arms around her body.

"I like this feeling I get when I'm around you. It's new and exciting." Summer confessed, enjoying the solitude she experienced being around Qrow.

"Looks like I'm doing something right, little Rose." Qrow leaned forward and kissed the top of Summer's head. She felt a familiar warmth accumulating on her face, telling her that she was blushing. They sat in silence in each other's embrace for what seemed to them an eternity before Qrow remembered what he was planning.

"About that surprise…" Qrow started, re-positioning himself on the bed. Summer stood up and waited as Qrow instructed with hand motions.

"What is it?" Summer asked with her unadultered tone Qrow loved.

"Take a wild guess why I told you it's in your bedroom." Qrow gave her a big smile, his legs spread apart. The light in Summer's head suddenly clicked.

"But what about Yang?" She questioned without moving.

"Don't worry, I'll try not to make you scream too loud." He told her in a joking manner. She reluctantly moved forward and knelt down in front of him.

"Okay, I'm ready!" Summer proudly announced, willing to accept Qrow's gift.

* * *

Taiyang opened his eyes after a rather rude slap from Raven. He decided to take a nap on the way to their drop off point, informing Raven to wake him once they reached their destination. He looked out the window of the airship to see that Raven wasn't wrong. She was just rude.

The duo were tasked with finding a way into a stronghold that was nearby the drop off. The stronghold itself belonged to a pro-faunus rights organization that recently became a thorn in everyone's side, dishing out organized protests and boycotts. They weren't exactly violent, which is why Ozpin wanted a few huntsmen to scout out the organization's leadership before deciding how to deal with them. A very known fact was that the organization, labeling themselves off as Golden Tide, had several rapidly growing sponsors, including a larger known group calling themselves the White Fang.

The airship touched down in a rocky clearing in between two protruding mountains, the valley way laden with vegetation. The stronghold was in a valley a little ways down. An extra walking distance meant nothing if it ultimately meant a successful stealth op. The couple hurriedly jumped out and waved the airship off. Then after a few minutes it was silent.

"Tai, do you remember which way the fortress was?" Raven looked around at the landscape, noticing the lack of any man made objects.

"It's a stronghold, actually. There's a very obvious difference between a fortress and a-" Taiyang was cut off by a hard elbow from Raven.

"I asked where the damn place was, not the correct terminology." Raven continued surveying, her eyes flickering red for only a moment. She had a keen sense of control over her semblance, but only when her anger could be controlled.

"Ah, sorry. It should be south, following the valley between the mountains, then- hey!" Taiyang, in a moment of attempting to remember what he was briefed on, Raven began impatiently walking in the direction Taiyang was explaining.

"We agreed to take this one step at a time...crater-face." Raven faced Taiyang and gave him a sly smile upon reciting the bland nickname she had given him when he lost control of his semblance during a well-timed sneeze.

"Not funny. We're suppose to work as a team more than anything. You can't just walk off without me. We worked a lot better as a full team of four." Taiyang ended his small lecture with a sigh, reminiscing his days at Beacon.

"We can't exactly do that anymore, considering the circumstances. Now let's go. As a, uh, pair." Raven avoided the word 'team' as though it was toxic to pronounce. Taiyang agreed and without anymore conversation, they silently worked their way through dense underbrush and vegetation, keeping an eye out for man-made structure. After what seemed like an hour or more, they sighted a tall but thin tower connected to a lengthy wall. There was heavy aerial activity and it seemed like a few roads going into the stronghold were constantly busy. Taiyang and Raven looked at each other with worry, wondering how they were going to get inside.

Raven spotted a slope that took them from their elevated location down to the heavy stone walls of the fort. From there, they could stay pressed against the walls to avoid detection until they came to a weak point. Taiyang could combust the loose stones to allow them entry, and from that point, they would do what they did best and wing it. The pair nodded in agreement and set the plan in motion.

Soon enough, Taiyang stepped through the crumbled portion of the wall and into a small room that didn't get used often. The walls were dusty and the only object in the room, a neatly carved and portable wooden table, was covered in dirt and cobwebs. A door on the left side was the only exit, as well as a single window on the far wall which allowed them to see into the stronghold. Raven rushed to the window and wiped a small part of it clean.

"What's the activity looking like?" Taiyang whispered.

"Tons of vehicles. Tons of people. Sorry, uh, faunus. There looks to be two opposite radio buildings, an armory, and closest to us looks to be the main building." Raven reported back. She was nervous about how getting to the main building was going to work.

"Okay, sounds like we need some disguises." Taiyang hurriedly proposed upon hearing the word faunus.

"What, why? You don't look much like a faunus." Raven pointed out, still trying to scope out the stronghold.

"Do you have a better plan?" Taiyang countered, feeling his plan had a much better chance of working. He heard his girlfriend sigh and reluctantly agree.

"Now where do we get these disguises?" Raven asked, not seeing how Taiyang could possibly get a costume made from such little supplies. Taiyang promptly walked to the door and opened it a crack. Before Raven could stop him, he beckoned two nearby faunus civilians over to him. The clueless civies shrugged and made their way over. Raven stood back in disbelief as the faunus pair blindly went with it. Taiyang waited until their victims were close enough before pulling Raven with him and hiding behind the door.

The pair walked into the room in confusion to see nobody inside. Taiyang quickly jumped out, knocked the heads of the two faunus together, and watched them both slump silently to the floor. Raven shut the door and didn't have time to be amazed. The two huntsmen pulled on the faunus apparel, finishing the look by donning a metal pin with a golden symbol on the front.

"How do I look? Not too outstanding I hope." Taiyang asked, posing in the drab outwear.

"You look like someone pushed you into a vat full of boring. Perfect." Raven, who wore equally underwhelming clothing, commented on. She didn't say anything, but she wasn't too sure of the disguise. If anything, she could always fight her way out of a situation. Or if things came down to it, running wasn't such a bad idea.

They carefully exited the room and tried their best to blend in with the surrounding faunus. Nobody looked their way. The two were quick to realize that the stronghold was a lot less of a militarized area and more of a safe house for faunus. The only guards they noticed were perched on the wall with small arms weaponry. Raven felt a small tug on her sleeve as she saw Taiyang motion for them to enter the main building. She complied and they strolled right in through the front door.

The headquarters of the fortress looked like it could be taken apart and moved easily, consisting of thin wood with visible hinges. The first room was small and had a stairway on the right. The left was barren except for a tiny dark door with a white sign explaining "Do Not Enter". In front of them was a desk, behind it sat a friendly looking female clerk who had a large smile and small antlers. Raven and Taiyang looked at each other with a look that said they knew what each other was thinking.

"Hello! We're, well, kinda lost." Taiyang immediately exclaimed, grabbing the clerk's attention. He rushed to the front and gave the antlered faunus a fake predicament to distract her. Raven seized the opportunity and made her way to the door that was so intent on keeping people from entering. In two lightning motions, she was inside without a sound.

Softly clicking the door back into it's original closed position, Raven turned to see a stairway leading down. She couldn't see the bottom. With no other way to go, she started to sneak down the staircase. Each individual step was made of a metal that seemed to absorb the noise of her footsteps. It made it easier to walk quicker without alerting anyone that may be in the vicinity. After a short while, she began to make out a small orange light coming from a room that broke off from the staircase. It wasn't at the bottom, but it was the only thing she could see worth exploring.

Raven put her hand on the hilt of her weapon. It was a rather plain, thin blade that expanded once she took it out. The sheath she kept it in infused the blade with different types of dust as well. It served her well enough that she didn't see a reason to change it. She continued her pace from the stairs and towards the room. The orange light was coming from two torches on the wall opposite of each other. A metal wall stood directly in front of her with a wooden door set in the middle. She carefully approached it and put her ear against it to try and make out anything coming from inside.

There was a gentle buzzing noise, then a rough voice spoke out loud. Following that was the crackle of a fire. Raven swiftly pushed the door open and whipped out her blade. She held a vicious posture to intimidate anyone inside. However, the scene she imagined wasn't entirely the same.

On the far side was a small fireplace with a crackly fire ablaze. Beside that was a generator that was hooked up to a few computers and machines that only looked capable of either shredding or copying papers. But the more entertaining part of the room were the two faunus that sat frozen in total fear. One was a young red haired boy with small stubby horns and damaged eyes. The other was an elderly man with no visible faunus trait who was holding a small but ornate white mask. He addressed the young boy as Adam and whispered a few things out of Raven's hearing. He then stood up and faced the fearsome huntress.

"I suppose it was only a matter of time before we were found out. You should know you look ridiculous in that clothing." The man remarked, keeping a distance.

"I'm only here to collect information." Raven blandly responded.

"I'm sure you are." The man set the mask down next to a blank monitor and began rummaging around a bag that was previously out of Raven's sight.

"What are you doing?" She took a step forward, causing the young boy to shuffle uncomfortably. The man turned back to face Raven, now holding another mask with different engravings on it.

"We don't appreciate how faunus kind are treated so differently than human. Sometimes, peaceful protests only work so far. Human nature is very violent towards those they don't like. Although Grimm are a common enemy, humans still tend to favor infighting when they have nothing else to do. You'll find out soon enough that the Golden Tide are willing to take the extra step to find our place in the human world." The man offered the mask to Raven. She was reluctant to touch it at first, worried about what could happen. When he didn't see her accept the mask right away, the man continued his speech.

"This boy here is Adam. He's next in line to take leadership of the White Fang organization. We want nothing more than for humankind to take us seriously as part of them. Do you understand?" Raven put a hand on the mask and allowed her fingers to run over the multiple grooves.

"I understand." She simply said, picking the mask up.

"Now when you feel the time is right, you'll come back to us. We'll give you more power than you've ever had before." A sudden change in attitude was brought to Raven's attention. She wasn't sure what he meant.

"I thought this was about being recognized? What's all this about power?" She questioned forcefully.

"The best strategy for intimidation is one that you as a huntress knows best. Show your enemies how much power you have." He made a hand motion that simulated a fist crushing an enemy. Raven's mind was whirling with ideas of what it all meant. She started backing away, sword in one hand and the mask in the other. The elderly man, seeing Raven as no longer a threat, gave his attention back towards Adam.

Raven slammed the door behind her, breathing heavily. She suddenly had a wave of confusion wash over her, her mind wandering. She was thinking about a single question: should she come back? She had no way of knowing what this power meant, or what would happen, but it sounded enticing. It was as if the man saw into her thoughts and knew what she wanted. It was nerve wracking to try and fully comprehend it. It would require a lot of thinking.

She made her way back up the stairs and out into the lobby room without remembering about the clerk. She looked around to see the room empty. Taiyang was still distracting her most likely. Raven rolled her eyes at the thought of what her dork was saying to the girl. She took a seat to bide her time and hid the mask.

A few minutes passed and both the clerk and Taiyang came down the staircase on the other side of the room. He appeared to be laughing, making Raven slightly jealous. She stood up and waited for him to get close enough before swiping at his sleeve and pulling him towards the doorway. The clerk returned to her post without a word. Once Raven and Taiyang were outside, they huddled in an area that was far out of anyone's sight or hearing.

"What did you find?" Raven whispered, trying to forget about the clerk.

"I stole a whole list of names and locations. And you?" Taiyang confidently whispered back, referring to when she disappeared behind the 'Do Not Enter' door. She paused for a second, deciding what to say.

"Just a few backrooms. There was nothing." She finally reported. Taiyang just shrugged.

"Well, you don't always find what you're looking for." He didn't seem to notice the decisiveness in her voice. They broke away from each other and scouted the courtyard of the fortress. They spotted the room they had entered from, which was built into the wall. All they had to do was cross the yard. They turned towards each other and nodded, deciding on their exit strategy.

 **One month later**

Summer leaned against the inside of the door to her room. She didn't know what to say, or even how to say it. She wanted it to be a special announcement not just to Qrow but to the whole team. Weighing her options, she wasn't sure how they would react, if they reacted at all. No, they would definitely react. Her shyness was pushing her to far. Big announcements were never little Rose's strong point.

She sank to her knees in front of the closed door, wrapping herself in her cape. She had just found out she was pregnant a few days ago. Now it was time to let everyone else know. She felt a single tear form in her eye and roll down her cheek. This meant her days of being a huntress were momentarily halted to become a full-time parent of another child bore by their team. She figured the others wouldn't be so amused.

Summer slowly picked herself back up and lightly touched her stomach. There was nothing to feel yet, but soon enough there would be. Nothing would be the same after the baby was born. She turned the doorknob and walked out. Qrow himself was getting ready to leave alongside Taiyang. Raven was a lot more moody and kept to herself as of recent. All three were in the kitchen area that also acted as a conference room.

"Good morning." Summer worked out, her voice extremely stressed and high pitched. Qrow picked up the vibe that something was wrong.

"What's the matter?" He rushed forward and warmly smiled to provide comfort.

"Uh...nothing is wrong." Summer looked away, fiddling with her fingers. Qrow pressed on.

"If nothing is wrong, then something must be right, right?" He moved a hand to her shoulder, massaging gently.

"I just don't know." Summer refused to explain her situation, still nervous and shy as ever.

"You can tell me. You can tell us all." Qrow pointed towards Taiyang who swung a bag onto his back and Raven who sat at the table, not paying much attention.

"Please tell me that everything will be alright." Summer whispered in a voice so quiet that only Qrow could hear.

"Yes, yes, everything is alright. It always is." He responded in an equally quiet voice. Summer squeezed her eyes shut and balled her hands into fists.

"You're going to be a father." She swiftly announced, completely unmoving. As soon as Qrow heard and comprehended the words, his hand became frozen on Summer's shoulder. He didn't know what to say. It was as though time had stopped around him and he was living in a different world.

"Honey, that's...that's amazing." Qrow pulled Summer into his arms and hugged her, still trying to fully understand the situation. He had spent all this time playing the fatherly figure without knowing that he himself would become an actual father. Summer silently hugged him back, making herself as small as she could in his arms and completely invisible under her white cape.

Qrow picked Summer up and carried her to his room bridal style. Taiyang could only stand and stare with his jaw hanging open. Another child in the house sounded like an interesting way to start fresh. It also reminded him of Yang's well-being. He wanted to be the kind of father to Yang that Summer was the motherly type. In the meantime, they would have to call Ozpin back and cancel their pending call to arms.

While everyone else was focused on the second new arrival, Raven was pondering a different course of action. A path filled with power and a promise to become stronger than she ever had been. The mask she was given constantly on her mind. She was coming closer to a decision. And it would be a decision to decide the future of their whole team.


	3. The Runaway

Raven stood silently beside a large window that occupied part of the kitchen area. It was late at night but she couldn't sleep. She stared out the window into the snowy landscape that was stowed upon the island of Patch. The middle of winter usually brought a lot of snow. Raven took solace in admiring the white blanket outside which covered everything in sight for miles around. Not that anything was stopping it from doing so. Raven placed a hand on the hilt of her sword the hung diligently by her side and sighed. She was starting to get used to being so moody all the time. She could tell her team was too, but they weren't so happy with it considering they had a child and another on the way. Raven used her other hand to trace a familiar path with her fingers on the chilled glass of the window. Three lines to signify claw marks. She had seen the symbol flown on flags by the faunus rights groups.

Every day that passed made her question her values further and more strenuously. Suddenly the life of a huntress seemed confusing compared to what she was offered on that mission so long ago. But the main reason she always refused was because she didn't want to abandon her friends.

"Are you coming to bed soon?" A familiar voice quipped up from behind. Raven didn't need to turn around to know that it was Taiyang.

"Yes. Soon." Raven responded so that he wouldn't fret. It was an obvious lie, but at least Taiyang believed it.

"Alright. I just want to let you know I'm worried about you. I feel like you've somehow changed recently…" It was a harmless confession. Raven didn't react so earnestly however. Her hand curled into a fist and her eyes flickered red.

"How exactly have I changed?" Raven spun around quickly, her voice loud enough for the whole house to hear. Taiyang was frozen for a moment from the sudden anger

"Please, don't shout, you'll wake someone! And what I mean is that you've been a lot more like this. Just forget I said anything. I'll be waiting in the bedroom." Taiyang turned and headed out of Raven's sight. She waited until she heard the door click before returning to stare out the window. It was no question that her mind was conflicted but only she knew why. The mask remained a secret.

The moonlight overheard shown down upon the stark wasteland reflecting enough light for Raven to see clearly. Suddenly the clouds in her head seemed to part and give her the answer she needed. She wanted desperately to find out what kind of power could be gained. She knew so little of the organization except that it was mostly a pro faunus rights group centered around finding a peaceful means for respect of faunus. Raven, as a huntress, knew just how idiotic the group was to think that humans would lay down to peace like the Golden Tide imagined. Something else had to be happening behind the scenes.

Raven scavenged from a kitchen drawer a pencil and paper, beginning to scribble a small letter to her team. She figured she had made a decision to seek out the organization. At least if things didn't seem as promising as she thought, she could always be a farmer or something. She finished writing and signed the paper with her symbol, folding it in half and placing it on the kitchen table. The next step for her was to get physically ready to leave.

As much as she hated to do it while everyone was asleep, she wanted to leave when no one could oppose her. It made things easier for her. She silently slipped into hers and Taiyang's room to find the blonde dork asleep already. He must have gotten tired waiting for her.

Raven shrugged and started gathering her daily huntress clothes. It may seem like an excessive amount of gear but she didn't mind the assorted outfit. Years of using it made her quick to put it together. When she was fully suited up, she glanced over to see Taiyang still sleeping.

'Good. I hate to leave you like this, but you're a good father. Maybe a bit too protective, but you'll manage.' Raven returned to their shared dresser to go through the drawers, seeing if she forgot anything. Upon opening a drawer near the bottom, a red handkerchief fell out of the clutter. Raven picked it up and admired the worn nature of the cloth. She hadn't seen it in years, not since they built the cabin itself. It must have gotten lost in the assorted fabrics they barely ever used. Without overthinking the situation, Raven tied the handkerchief over her head, looking up to admire herself in the small mirror over the dresser.

'I look like a housewife…' she thought to herself. The red fabric floated about her feather-like hair. Yet she didn't remove the handkerchief. It was somehow fitting and stylish. Finally, she needed to recover the mask from its hiding spot. She knew no one would tamper with it because of how defensive she got over people touching her stuff, even at her teammates. She always had doubts about Qrow's intelligence, but at least he knew not to mess with her things. She rummaged through a pile of clothes in the corner of the closet. At the bottom was a rather large yet plain shoe box. She removed the lid and lifted out the white mask.

The best description Raven could come up with for the mask was that it was terrifyingly ominous. Red lines ran up and down, side to side, and there were two narrow slots for her eyes. She wasn't completely sure, but the mask occasionally seemed like it was glowing. She stowed the mask and left the room.

Not wanting to delay any longer, she put a hand on the front door, looking back at the cabin. She hoped her team wouldn't hate her too much for abandoning them. But this was about her as an individual and seeking something personal. She pushed the door open and stepped out into the thin layer of snow outside, carefully closing the door without a noise.

A mild chilling breeze swept across the land, instantly freezing Raven's exposed skin. She ignored the harsh weather and withdrew her scroll, using it to plot a destination. She was planning to return to the stronghold she had received her mask from. A few instances later and she had a set idea of where she would be heading. She was about to start marching forward when a quick realization hit her.

"I can't leave footprints in the snow." Raven halted and looked down. She suddenly got an idea of how to deal with the footprints. From inside of a satchel she had attached to her belt, she removed two blue shards of dust, each casting a reflective glow from the moonlight. She tossed the on the ground in front of her feet and stepped on them, effectively crushing the shards into a powder. They glowed on their own now, attaching themselves to the bottoms of Raven's heel boots. Now she was able to tread the snow without leaving any indication of where she was going.

Raven knew that she was running away from everything she had grown up to become. Years of training to be a huntress. The friendship she had grown accustomed to with Summer, the relationship she had formed with Taiyang, the life of being a mother to Yang. And Qrow. Of course things rarely went their way, but they were a team. And still, Raven was drawn by the promise of power. She paused in the snow, huddling herself for warmth. She considered looking back at the cabin one last time. But before she did, she shook her head and kept moving. There was no looking back anymore.

She found herself trudging through the thick of the forest, surrounded by dead, snow-covered, twisted trunks. A familiar path to her, changing constantly with the seasons. Sometimes it was lush and green, sometimes it was filled with the orchards of fruit trees, and sometimes it was an assortment of warm colors and a slightly chilly atmosphere. But today it was dead and bleak. It prompted Raven to quickly stop and take out the mask.

As large as it was, it was surprisingly lightweight. A certainly aura about it was suspiciously ominous. But what isn't mysterious about things received from the darkest parts of secret organizations? Raven rubbed a hand over the surface of the mask. It wasn't metallic. It felt smooth and contained a light layer of dusty residue from its months in isolation. It was sort of like a plaster mold that was infused with red dust before hardened. Raven's perceptible curiosity got the better of her and she felt the need to wear the mask.

'I've never put it on before. What if it does something to me?' Her mind rushed with thoughts that averted her attention. Of course they were just stalling thoughts with scenarios that wouldn't happen. Raven tried to convince herself it would be fine. Power took over her mind. Then she placed the mask on her face.

She immediately felt her semblance being hijacked. A stronger force was entering her psychological being and replacing her aura. Before Raven could remove the mask, the deed was already done. Raven fell to her knees in exasperation, feeling the new aura seeding itself in her body and taking control. Her eyes shifted from a friendly lilac to a crimson red. Anger boiled in her mind and coursed through her veins. The mask was changing her.

A few moments passed and Raven felt her strength returning. She ripped the mask off, yet nothing changed. She was seething with a new power and new intentions. Her lips slowly curled into a smirk and she placed the mask back on her face. Once the mask was nestled perfectly, she felt a physical change start to happen. Her hair, which alluded to the feathery nature of her name, felt darker and more menacing. The new appearance was sleeker and made her feel much more terrifying, multiplied by the menacing mask covering her sweet face. She picked herself up and placed a hand on the hilt of her sword, instantly feeling a new desire to kill.

Before she could unsheathed her katana blade, a reddish glow behind her grabbed her attention. Raven spun around to see a dark portal ripped into the air. The source of the portal was a red longsword belonging to a young but vicious faunus warrior donning a similar mask to hers. The most impressive trait he possessed were twisted horns atop his head, except one was missing and instead replaced with a stub. He stepped out into the snow and held a massive hand out. He was beckoning Raven into the portal. She instinctively nodded and allowed the warrior to guide her inside. An excitement rushed to her head and told her that this would be the start of a new, more powerful Raven Branwen.

 **The following morning**

Summer's eyes fluttered opened slower than her ears as she heard distinct shouting from Taiyang's room. The voices switched between Qrow's and Taiyang's in an argument about...Raven. Curious and annoyed at the same time, Summer rose to go find out why the two were at each other so much.

"The signs were pretty clear, I just think you were poor at exercising caution!" Qrow exclaimed.

"How was I supposed to prevent this from happening when she snapped every time I said something?" Taiyang retaliated.

"What do we tell Summer, huh? Raven just got up in the middle of the night and ran away? What about your daughter? Mommy's gone, tough luck." Qrow folded his arms and tried to guilt Taiyang. It only made the blonde angrier and Qrow could see the fire in his eyes ignite.

"We'll tell them the truth." Taiyang spat out earnestly, not wanting to drag anyone else into their problems. Qrow shrugged and turned towards the door to see a timid Summer standing in the doorway.

"Well looks like we have less explaining to do." Qrow spoke through gritted teeth, making his way past Summer and towards the front door. The two teammates left behind waited until they heard the door open and slam shut. Taiyang sat on the edge of the bed and buried his head in his hands.

"He's only upset because it's his sister." Taiyang muttered. He was unmoving which scared Summer a little. She didn't know what to do or how to react.

"It'll be okay eventually. We just have to wait." Summer smiled gently, standing close to Taiyang. She noticed him shaking his head in his hands before he pointed to an opened letter sitting on the bed beside him. Summer picked up the paper and her mood instantly became sour. She read every single word printed as though they were toxic to the eyes. Upon finishing, she let the letter slip between her fingers and silently glide to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Taiyang." Summer looked down at him with nothing better to offer. She reluctantly sat softly beside him and wrapped her arms around him to provide comfort. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for him to lose Raven like he did. She and Summer had been close friends, but never as close as her and Taiyang had been. And Qrow was her brother, which triggered feelings for Qrow as well. Summer was just a friend to Raven. But she was also their team's leader, and as a leader she needed to be diligent to reunite them.

Summer and Taiyang sat in silence for half an hour, still huddled in their embrace. She offered to rub her back to relieve the tension but he refused, saying that he simply enjoyed just her company. Her mind was constantly running to think of ways that she could help bring everyone together, even if Raven was out of their reach. There were still the three of them, and as far as they knew, Raven was still alive out in the wilderness.

"The three of us will be okay. You have to believe that." Summer sweetly comforted.

"I want to go after her." Taiyang mumbled back.

"Of course you do. We all do. But we have to think of Yang. And Raven must be miles from here. She left in the dead of night, remember?" Summer didn't want to lose Taiyang either. She knew his immediate response would be to chase after Raven. Summer couldn't let him do that. They had to stay focused on keeping themselves together above all. And they had a baby in their hands as well.

"We'll figure something out, Tai. I promise. But for now, can we forget about it? I'll go talk to Qrow." Summer stood up and stretched, feeling slightly more exasperated from daily tasks lately because of the pregnancy. She truly believed that things will be alright. They always had been.

 **Two years later**

"Hey sweetie, you wanna go wake up daddy?" Qrow knelt down close to the floor, speaking to the flouncy blonde toddler in front of him. She had been releasing her excessive energy on annoying him for whatever reason. Yang giggled and ran off on unstable legs towards Taiyang's room. Qrow smiled as he watched, standing up to look around for Summer. She was responsible for cleaning the kitchen that day. He saw he poke her head out from behind the wall separating the kitchen and the bedroom hallway.

"She gets more energy every day. I hope Ruby isn't like that." Summer pointed out, bringing attention to their own child. Yang was four while Ruby had turned two about half a year prior. She was progressing much faster than Yang had, but they just assumed that Ruby spent a lot of time watching and learning. She was an eager and determined baby.

"Yang is a handful, that's no understatement." Qrow commented. The three of them had been acting as the parents for both children, limiting their communications with Ozpin. The headmaster didn't seem to mind much. He kept a very close relationship with Qrow however, seeing him as the more responsible and easy going one. He also proved to be the most useful of the trio during missions.

"Ruby is a lot more quiet, but I suppose that's just her nature. Or maybe because she's younger. We won't know for a little while." Summer remarked, turning back towards the kitchen. She had taken towards cooking and cleaning a lot more since Raven's disappearance, feeling a need to be the mother of both children. They needed a maternal figure and she wanted to be the best.

"Speaking of the little devil, where is Ruby now?" Qrow spoke to himself, searching the floors and the usual hiding spots of the small child. She liked to crawl off and sit for hours in places the adults could hardly reached. It gave her fun, and it gave the parents something to do trying to get her out. Qrow didn't need to move anywhere, however. He felt a small tug from behind on his cape. He turned around and knelt to the ground to be level with the baby. She stood on wobbly legs, tufts of blackish hair with red tips sticking out. Qrow constantly called her the world's most adorable baby.

"Hey there, is there something you need?" Qrow asked in a childish voice that made Ruby giggle as best as she could. Ruby pointed over at Summer.

"Mommy!" She exclaimed. The word was muffled from not having any teeth, and was even further distorted from a lack of a developed voice box, but Qrow heard the word perfectly. Ruby knew how to say about three words, all from Qrow's constant fathering and teaching.

"Mommy? What do you want with mommy?" Qrow's smile widened as he couldn't help but be overloaded by the bundle of cuteness in front of him. Ruby pointed frantically, trying to get Qrow to notice something in particular.

"You want...Mommy's cape? Hang in there, I think I can do something about that for you." Qrow lightly patted Ruby's head before standing up and wandering off into his room. In the corner was a box of fabrics and a used sewing machine. Summer had spent countless hours sewing clothing together shortly before Ruby was born. They didn't need it much anymore but Qrow had a new idea that needed it. He pulled a small wooden chair up to it and picked out a delicate red colored fabric. Without hesitation, he began to cut and sew together the fabric, hoping the final product matched what he had in mind.

Meanwhile, Ruby's curious mind had brought her to peeking into Qrow's room. She sat on the floor in the doorway, clinging to the doorframe and watching Qrow. He seemed to get frustrated easily, and made a lot of noise with the big machine, but he was fun to watch. He made a lot of noises, which Ruby giggled at every once in awhile.

The show went on for about two hours before Qrow stood up with a bundle of the red fabric in his hands. He was proud of what he had made, even though it was nowhere near what Summer could make. He made his way over to Ruby and scooped her up, cradling her in his arms. She enjoyed it without complaint, allowing him to carrying her over and set her on his bed.

"Now let's get you dressed." Qrow had Ruby sit still while he pulled the small red cloak over her head. As a final touch, he pulled the hood over her fat head, covering most of her hair. Ruby stared in awe at this new outfit covering her body.

"Let's go show Mommy how much you two look alike!" Qrow picked Ruby up and carried her into the kitchen, disturbing a session of Summer's baking. At first she was annoyed from Qrow rushing into the kitchen so wildly, but then she saw what he was holding and melted.

"Awh, you made our daughter a little cloak and hood just like mine! That's so adorable! Let me get the camera!" Summer bounced all over the place, forgetting where everything was. She reached over to the dining table where her scroll was lying and held it up. Ruby looked all over the place in utter confusion. There was a small click followed by a flash then a lot of cradling. A few moments later, Qrow felt his scroll buzzing at his side. He almost ignored it, deciding ultimately to just answer it and tell off whoever it was. He handed Ruby off to Summer and whipped his scroll out.

"Oz, what do you need?" The conversation lasted longer than either Qrow or Summer expected, growing more urgent the longer it lasted. Finally, Qrow lowered his scroll and clicked it off.

"They need me all the way out at Signal Academy. To fill in a teaching position temporarily." He muttered with dissatisfaction. He hated the thought of leaving his family and Taiyang, but it was important.

"I'll be fine by myself. I can take care of the children with Taiyang. You can leave tomorrow." Summer told him cheerfully. Qrow kissed Summer's cheek and removed himself to the bedroom to start packing. Summer, who was now holding a very squirmy Ruby, made her own way to the room she used as Ruby's and placed her neatly in the crib. Summer sang a short lullaby and lulled the baby into a sleep. She continued to sit by the crib side and watch her child sleep. It reminded her of Raven somehow. She reached a delicate hand into a small bag on her skirt's belt and took out the crumpled note from years ago. The words never changed. Summer didn't expect them to anyway. She softly read the note to herself once more.

 _"Dear Taiyang, Summer, and Dork,_

 _I've made my decision to chase a personal goal. By the time you read this, I'll be long gone. I won't come back. Make sure the children grow up big and strong. And most importantly, DO NOT COME AFTER ME. You three have so much to live for. And looking for me will only get you killed. I'll be looking over your shoulders every once in awhile, but don't expect me to always be there for you._

 _Yours truly, Raven."_


	4. The Lies

Summer quietly pulled the tray from the oven, setting it on the countertop to cool its contents. It was loaded with freshly rolled, beaten, and baked cookies. They were one of her favorite things to make. Whenever she had a bad day or was in a bad mood, the scent of fresh cookies always seemed to help perk her up. Plus the kids liked them too. Ruby mostly just made a mess, but Summer didn't mind. She tried to make the cookies soft since the kids still had underdeveloped teeth. The recipe become a favorite among Qrow and Taiyang as well. They loved her cooking most of all.

Today was a solemnly slow day. Summer was waiting for a call back from Qrow. He had left about a week ago to help fill in a temporary teaching position, but she didn't know if he had arrived safely. His safety was always a concern for her, being as many Grimm as there were in the world. No one was safe outside of the kingdoms.

"Aunty! When will the cookies by done?!" Yang's chipper and bubbly voice rang out. She was picking up her speech very quickly. But it was mostly due to the adults having not much to do besides play and teach Yang and Ruby. They also proved to be fast learners.

"You have to let them cool first, sweetie." Summer pushed the tray up further so that Yang couldn't reach it and burn herself. Ruby was strapped into her high chair at the dining table, waving her arms around and making all sorts of clatter. Summer smiled at the adoring act Ruby was putting on. She was so entranced that she nearly missed the buzzing of her scroll. Excited, Summer pulled it up and sighed with relief to see the image of Qrow's face. She answered the call gleefully.

"Miss me?" The rough tone of Qrow's voice was the first thing she heard.

"Of course I do. I bet Ruby misses you just as much." Summer answered back.

"Tell the little bundle of joy that daddy will be home soon. I just need to stay a few more days." Qrow reassured Summer. He wanted to be back as soon as possible.

"I hope so. The kids are a handful." Summer told him truthfully. The conversation continued into Qrow explaining how the job was coming along followed by mild goodbyes.

"I'll see you soon. I love you." Qrow said before hanging up. It made Summer's heart flutter, hearing him say those words. Summer put her scroll away and touched the tray of cookies.

"Ah, looks like they're ready!" Summer exclaimed, picking the tray up and placing it on the dining table. Yang was immediately seated at a chair, scooping up a handful of the doughy treats. Summer made sure that Yang didn't steal them all before handing one to Ruby. The younger baby squealed upon being given a present, using the cookie as a hammer instead of eating it. Summer sighed to see her child making such a mess, but it wasn't a sigh of disappointment. Ruby was still a baby afterall. Qrow constantly commented about how she took after her mother most of all.

Summer retreated to her room after securing the rest of the cookies out of the children's reach, leaning up against the wall after closing the door.

She was thinking about Raven again. Her friend crossed her mind more often these days, and watching the kids grow up so fast didn't help. Raven's letter specifically told them that they shouldn't chase after her. In fact, it's been over two years since Raven left. If she had died, they wouldn't have even known. But Summer felt like there was a chance Raven could still be alive.

"What's up, cupcake?" Taiyang barged into Summer's room, startling her at first.

"Don't call me that." Summer warned with a face too adorable to take seriously.

"Well Qrow calls you that." Taiyang reminded her of the several nicknames Qrow loved to address her with.

"What do you want?" Summer changed the topic, bringing attention to why he had entered her room so suddenly.

"Oh, uh, I just wanted to check in on you. Any news about Qrow yet?" Taiyang spent a lot of his time either in his room moping by himself, parenting Yang, or tidying the house like a personal maid. He and Qrow had recently formed a quick brotherly relationship, and it spiked Taiyang's interest whenever there was news about Qrow.

"He'll be back as soon as he can." Summer reported, trying to get her mind off of Raven.

"That's wonderful, we could use the third set of hands back at homebase! And it you don't mind me asking, you seem a little flustered. Is everything alright?" Taiyang asked with a slue of concern. Summer decided it was best to just be blunt about her thoughts since it was about Taiyang's girlfriend.

"I can't stop thinking about Raven. She has to be alive. I just want to make sure." Taiyang froze at the mention of Raven's name.

"You're not implying chasing after her, are you? Qrow and I made it very clear that-" he started to remind her, but Summer wasn't interested in the lecturing.

"So you just let her go so easily? She could still be alive! She was our teammate…" Summer reacted a lot more erratic than intended, her white cloak fluttering at every movement. Taiyang backed up, but showed no intention of giving in.

"Absolutely not. We've learned to move on without her. And if anyone would be chasing after her on a wild goose chase, it would be me. Do you see me leaving to get myself killed? No." Taiyang was solid about the situation. His mind instantly shifted back to the countless tear-soaked hours he had spent in his room after learning about Raven running away. He remembered Qrow constantly stopping him from leaving on his own to follow Raven.

"You can't stop me if I decide to leave." Summer really believed she would find and drag Raven back, even if it resorted to violence. Taiyang looked uncomfortable talking about Raven. He reached forward and grabbed Summer's wrist.

"Think of the kids. If we lose you…" He was worried that Summer would try to leave on her own the same way Raven had. Summer stared back, her silver eyes glowing ferociously. Taiyang backed off, moving back to the doorway.

"I'm serious, Summer. You have nothing to gain by seeking after Raven." The last thing Taiyang said before disappearing from sight. Summer waited a few moments before sitting down on her bed and swinging her legs gently above the hardwood floor.

"Nothing to gain? Your own girlfriend left in the middle of the night. Our teammate abandoned us." Summer whispered under her breath. She wanted to prove Taiyang wrong. She completely forgot about Qrow to think about the mission.

That night, Summer and Taiyang sat alone at the dining table. The kids were already put to sleep. A single bottle of wine sat in the middle of the table. Taiyang was the only member of their team to drink alcohol, using wine as a way to ease up. He was slumped on the table, using his forearm to hold his head up. The two had just finished a silent dinner, the hostile air between them still fresh.

"I've decided. I want to at least try. I'm capable of handling myself, I led our dysfunctional team for four years." Summer quietly concluded. Taiyang didn't say a word. Summer used the silence as a means to continue.

"I've dealt with Grimm before. I've dealt with bad guys too. Look, we're adults now. That means we're better than we used to be, right?" Summer nervously put her points forth. Taiyang sighed and shrugged.

"Yeah. We're supposed to be better." He responded.

"And if I don't find any traces of her, I'll just come home. All I'm asking for is a chance to track her down." Summer pleaded.

"It's been two years, why can't you just forget about Raven?" Taiyang looked up to face Summer. She instantly knew why he looked so depressed. He must have retreated to his room after their discussion earlier, with Raven fresh in his mind. The loss was still hard for him, even now.

"You told us she started acting the way she had been after your mission to the Golden Tide's stronghold." Summer started to piece together the history. Taiyang was getting upset over the continued conversation.

"Summer." He harshly pleaded. She didn't stop, however.

"Maybe she knows something that she didn't tell us. Maybe she was going after them. She did say she was chasing a personal goal." Taiyang quickly stood up, knocking his chair back and almost over. He reached forward to grab the bottle of wine. Without any further interaction, he rushed back to his room and slammed the door. Summer instantly fell quiet. She knew Raven was a bad topic with Taiyang, but she didn't intend for him to react so roughly. She sighed deeply, slowing removing herself to her own room. She wanted to start her search tomorrow. It would require a long and restful sleep.

Morning arrived faster than Summer expected. She almost felt like she had just laid down to rest. But the sun's light didn't lie. She picked herself up and started her morning routine. Taiyang was still in his room with no signs of ever having left. Summer woke the children up and made breakfast for four. Ruby, Yang, and herself had all finished with no traces of Taiyang. There was such a bad taste in the air that even Yang didn't question it. Summer told her not to woke her dad and she knew to comply.

Finally, Summer was getting ready to leave. A stumbly ball of red came out of nowhere to Summer's surprise. She knew who was under the little hood. She picked up Ruby and cradled her baby.

"I'll be back soon. Wait for mommy, okay?" Summer coddled Ruby before placing her back on the floor. When she looked up, Taiyang was standing outside of his room. He looked miserable, as though he had stayed awake all night. He had his arms crossed, shivering slightly from the natural chilling air of the winter atmosphere.

"Please, come back safely. I won't stop you." Taiyang simply told her. He didn't like saying goodbye. It would mean that she was leaving forever, and he didn't like to think of that possibility. Yang noticed that Taiyang was up and out of his room. She wandered over and looked up.

"Daddy? Where is Aunty going?" She innocently asked. Taiyang reached a hand down to pat Yang's head.

"On a super secret mission to bring back a thousand cookies." He responded to make her giggle with excitement. He then turned his attention back to Summer.

"Don't get yourself killed. For the children's sake." Taiyang told her before she left the cabin, unknowingly to her, for the last time.

Summer breathed in the crisp winter air. She was never a person who enjoyed the cold, which made sense in accordance to her namesake. Without further ado, Summer began her hike on the pathway in front of their house. She looked up to see clouds beginning to form. There was no snow on the ground currently but she figured that was about to change. She continued forward at a quick pace. Her goal was to figure out more about the Golden Tide and the White Fang. Even though the Tide was fading from the memory of the people, it still existed. The White Fang had taken over as the dominant pro faunus rights group. Humans hated the consistent protests. Qrow always pointed out how their peaceful protests would never make a difference.

Summer entered a forest of dead trunks, feeling a few flakes of cold snow land on her ruffled hair. She instinctively pulled her hood over her head to block out the cold, wrapping herself in the solitude of her cloak. The snowfall quickly picked its pace up and it became harder to see where she was going. But she kept moving forward forward.

Suddenly, she reached a spot between four large dead trees where a new power seized her body. She felt different, as if this exact spot where she was standing was cursed. She didn't want to move in fear that something would consume her. An innate sense tingled inside her, forcing her to look over her shoulder. Summer was more than just slightly startled at what she saw.

Raven stood in the snow, unmoving, stiff as she could be in the same location Summer had been a few moments prior. There were no footprints to indicate that she had walked to the spot. Summer was petrified, staring at the masked face of someone she once knew as a friendly individual. She now had the face if someone truly evil.

The feathered hair woman casually walked around to the front of Summer, facing her old team leader. She didn't move or speak for a long time, waiting to see what Summer would do. The younger girl didn't take her eyes off of Raven. Surprisingly, she didn't do anything. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Why did you run away?" Summer demanded, almost shouting over the howling of a harsh wind that had picked up. Raven didn't respond.

"Taiyang needs you! Yang needs you!" Summer continued to yell. Raven felt her body twitching from the names of her past being mentioned. Without giving Summer the satisfaction of an answer, Raven shot her arm forward and snatched Summer's head in her hand as if she was a bowling ball. It wasn't forceful, but the sudden action scared Summer. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the crimson glow of Raven's eyes behind the mask. The Branwen sister felt no need to toy with Summer any longer. With a single motion, she pulled her blade out with her free hand and cut a portal into thin air behind Summer.

"You're coming with me." Raven finally spoke, pushing Summer backwards into the portal. The last thing Raven heard was a blood chilling scream. Then silence. She took a deep breath before stepping into the portal herself. Summer was never supposed to be here. She was never supposed to chase Raven. But she did. And her curiosity would be the reason things happened the way they did.

 **Later**

"Hey Taiyang, I'm going to have to stay here at Signal for an extra week. Tell Summer I love her, since her she doesn't seem to be answering. Seeya soon." The recorded message droned on. Taiyang laid his head down on the kitchen table, his hand resting on his scroll and his finger on the play button.

"Hey Taiyang, I'm going to have to stay here at Signal for an extra week. Tell Summer I love her…"

The time displayed on the small device read 1:34 AM. It wasn't wrong.

"Hey Taiyang, I'm going to have to stay here at Signal for an extra week…"

He hated himself for allowing Summer to leave, even if it was for a second. To chase a stupid idea.

"Hey Taiyang…"

The words melted together in Taiyang's mind into a twisted reminder that Summer wasn't coming back. Nothing could change that. He played the message at least a hundred times, a dwelling thought telling him that doing so would bring Summer back. He would have to tell Yang that her Aunty wasn't coming back. Then he would have to tell Ruby that her mommy was gone forever. And then Qrow…

He would react the worst. It was bad enough when Raven left. Taiyang didn't want to have to go through the pain of telling Qrow that Summer was gone too. Eventually, the message stopped repeating itself. Taiyang didn't even feel himself drift off to sleep. He just woke up still laying on the table. An instant drove him to immediately rise to his feet, carrying him to Summer's room. He peered into the darkness with a small flicker of hope in his heart.

The emptiness extinguished the flicker. Taiyang turned around with all hope faded. A small buzz was coming from the kitchen table. Taiyang didn't even need to see the screen to know who it was. He dragged himself back to the table and picked up the device, noticing low battery.

"Qrow." Taiyang worked out, trying his best to not sound so terrible.

"Hey, you guys haven't been answering or returning my calls, what happened?" Qrow urgently implied.

"Nothing is wrong. Why would you ask that?" Taiyang leaned against the wall, trying to find support for his weak body. He felt like such a coward hiding the obvious from his friend.

"Don't give me that, what the hell happened?" Qrow persisted, seeing through the lies. Taiyang sighed and gave in.

"It's Summer. I tried to stop her. I told her not to." Taiyang didn't get to finish before Qrow interrupted him.

"Do not tell me what I think I'm about to hear." Qrow held his scroll tighter, knowing exactly why Summer hadn't been answering. He didn't need to hear it from Taiyang. He just knew. His eyes began to tear up on their own before Taiyang even started speaking again.

"She left to look for Raven. She was only supposed to be gone for a few hours. But it's been days. I don't...no...she isn't coming back. I'm sorry…" Taiyang nearly dropped his scroll trying to get the words out. He was secretly glad that he wasn't around Qrow to see his reaction. Taiyang didn't want to be around when the storm was released.

Qrow immediately threw the tiny handheld at the closest wall, completely shattering it. He broke down into a fit of tears that he had never experienced before. He was currently held up in his temporary classroom on a day that classes were cut. He was only in the room to tidy things up. Instead, he ended up kicking a bookshelf and causing its contents to spill all over the slightly dusty floor. He fell to the ground in a bumbling heap, bringing his knees to his chest in comfort.

He had to come to terms with his lost love. But he felt that he couldn't. He didn't want Taiyang's words to be true. He and Summer had a child to raise together. A child to teach and sing to, a child to spend every waking moment making sure that she grew up to be a responsible young woman in this dangerous world. They were supposed to grow together as a couple, have their fights with one another, then make things up to each other the next day.

The sadness welled up in Qrow's body. He couldn't control his tears or emotions. All he knew was that Summer was gone. He sat in a loud stupor for a few hours. It took as long for him to finally calm down. He eventually sat in silence in a fetal position. He was lost in his thoughts, wondering what he was going to do. He didn't want to return home to face the facts. He wanted to stay in Vale as long as possible. To prolong his emotions. He knew from Taiyang that alcohol was a calming device. His mind shifted from Summer to a place in town he occasionally passed. It was a little bar, often unvisited. He had never tried alcohol before, having no reason to.

Qrow picked himself up and wiped his face cleaned. His clothes were wrinkled and his face bright red, but he didn't care. He grabbed his wallet and headed out.

He made sure to hurry so as not to draw much attention to him. He looked like a mess but he ignored the staring faces of those he passed. He knew the city like the back of his hand, so locating The Crow Bar wasn't hard. He turned a final corner and stepped foot into the weathered joint.

"Welcome! I don't believe I've seen you around here before. You really look like you could use something strong." The bartender greeted him with a smiling mustached face and foreign accent that was soothing to Qrow. He took a seat at a bar-stool and instantly laid his heavy head on the bar table.

"Just load me up. I don't care, I have money." He muttered, staring at the wall. The bartender asked no further questions and got to work picking out and mixing a strong alcohol for the depressed customer. Qrow noticed a payphone in the corner of the bar. He would need to use it later since his own calling device was a little broken. Not much later, the bartender slid a beverage in front of Qrow's face, complete with a single cube of ice floating around. He picked up the glass containing the strange liquid and swirled it around. With a quick and desperate motion, he downed the liquor without looking back. New feelings took place in his mind and it completely overtook him. He wasn't used to alcohol, especially a mix so powerful. In a sweeping instance between rage and confusion, Qrow smashed the empty glass against the floor.

"Hey!" The bartender cried out. Qrow responded by slamming a large sum of Lien on the counter. He wasn't in the mood to be amused by exact change. His next goal was to call Taiyang again. He moved on the payphone, dialing up his friend as fast as he could. He held the ring from the other side a few times before a groggy voice answered.

"Taiyang. I've made my decision. I'm staying in Vale." Qrow didn't bother with an introduction.

"What, why?" Taiyang responded in total confusion. He couldn't raise two kids on his own.

"None of your damn business." Qrow snarled back. Taiyang knew he was treading on thin ice at this point.

"What do we tell the children?" He was quick to ask.

"I was never there. I'm no one's father. I was never with Summer. Do you hear me? You can tell the kids whatever you want, Tai. But what I'm telling you is what you should say. They don't need to know the truth." Qrow was harsh but at least he got his point across.

"I understand. Would you be okay with just being their uncle?" Taiyang knew that his kids would get to an age where they would ask too many questions.

"Yeah. Whatever you want. You're their father now." Qrow concluded before slamming the phone back in its place. Afterwards, he simply stormed out of the building. He walked without a set destination in mind, but somehow ended up back at a very familiar place. It was the office that he often met Ozpin when they needed to do business with each other. Instead of having Qrow come all the way up to Beacon, it was easier for Ozpin to come to Signal. Qrow's mind wandered from the alcohol, but it somehow still knew the way to Ozpin's office. The headmaster was inside, packing a few things and getting ready to return to Beacon himself. He had concluded his business with the headmaster of Signal, after all. Qrow barged in unannounced and drew Ozpin's attention.

"I want to be a teacher." He mumbled. He didn't know where the sudden thought came from, he just knew he was certain about it. It didn't mean he had to end his duties as a huntsman. In fact, the reason he was filling in as a temp was because a teacher was off on a mission. The request was news to Ozpin though.

"Oh is that so? Don't you have a family to take care of?" Ozpin replied.

"I can't visit them right now." The effects of his drink earlier clouded his mind of reasonable thought.

"You're going to have to talk to the headmaster of Signal about that. I was just about to leave." Ozpin calmly suggested.

"Perfect." Qrow sarcastically scowled, leaving to find the other headmaster.

His time in Vale would be very depressing. He drowned out his emotions with heavy alcoholism. He preferred to be drunk anyway, at least he couldn't face his sadness that way. The loss on his shoulders was heavy. He would take on class after class of aspiring young huntsmen and huntresses, each one with their own reason to succeed. Ten years later, his biggest pride came under his wing in the form of a red cloaked silver eyed girl. Being the fatherly figure he was, he influenced her decision in wielding a scythe. He taught her as much as he could, knowing just how dangerous the world in front of Ruby would be.

Taiyang did his best to keep the cabin from falling apart. He was tasked with raising two girls on his own. And he told them the lies Qrow had relayed to him for their own safety. It was better if they didn't know what happened. Taiyang took it upon himself to build a memorial to Summer on a cliffside. It would give Ruby comfort in knowing that at least a small piece of her mother was still with them. Taiyang became their dad while Qrow played the dusty old uncle who only came to visit on occasion. Yang was the only one old enough at the time to understand why Summer had left. It was in search of her mother. Yang always felt an unbridled need to follow in Summer's footsteps. It scared Taiyang half to death when he found out about Yang leaving with Ruby to find Raven. But they were lucky nothing bad had happened. As for Ruby, she was told the same thing over and over. Taiyang was her dad, and Summer was her mother. And it would stay that way following their time into Beacon Academy.

* * *

"And Summer and I lived happily ever after." Qrow finished his story, taking a sip from the flask he grasped in his hand. Yang had lost interest a long time ago, but Ruby stayed with him the entire time.

"That couldn't have happened. Taiyang was Summer's love!" Ruby exclaimed, sensing something wrong.

"Well, your mom wasn't bad looking. She could have anyone she wanted. And speaking of love, isn't there a particular ice queen you like?" Qrow responded, receiving a swift but light punch from Ruby.

"We're just friends!" Ruby retorted, crossing her arms.

"Right, friends with benefits, got it." Qrow smirked, watching his daughter's face explode in a blush. Even if she didn't know the truth, it didn't stop her from being his new little Rose. He was protective of her more than he would have liked to admit.

"Uncle Qrow, isn't there someone you love?" Yang asked, realizing the story was over.

"Besides any girl with a miniskirt, I can think of a few people." Qrow answered. His mind was only on one individual, however. Summer Rose. He couldn't possibly love anyone else after her. He took another swig of his flask which ended up draining it.

"Huh. Looks like I'm out. I'll be back later, don't either of you get into trouble. The last thing I want to do is have to bail one of you out of the local jail." Qrow's final remark made Ruby giggle while the pair of girls watched him leave.

Once he was out of sight, Qrow stopped and gripped his flask tightly. He wanted to tell the girls the truth, but he and Taiyang had spent thirteen years building the lie. He couldn't just break the wall, not yet. Qrow sighed and continued his pace.

"Team STRQ. The awesomest team ever."


End file.
